The Manhunt

The Manhunt

By Simon Armitage

After the first phase,
after passionate nights and intimate days,

only then would he let me trace
the frozen river which ran through his face,

only then would he let me explore
the blown hinge of his lower jaw,

and handle and hold
the damaged, porcelain collar-bone,

and mind and attend
the fractured rudder of shoulder-blade,

and finger and thumb
the parachute silk of his punctured lung.

Only then could I bind the struts
and climb the rungs of his broken ribs,

and feel the hurt
of his grazed heart.

Skirting along,
only then could I picture the scan,

the foetus of metal beneath his chest
where the bullet had finally come to rest.

Then I widened the search,
traced the scarring back to its source

to a sweating, unexploded mine
buried deep in his mind, around which

every nerve in his body had tightened and closed.
Then, and only then, did I come close.

Summary of The Manhunt

  • Popularity of “The Manhunt”: Composed by Simon Armitage, “The Manhunt” is a poignant and powerful poem first published in 2008 in his collection of poems titled The Not Dead. Since its publication, the poem has garnered significant critical acclaim and popularity, being widely studied and analyzed in schools and universities across the globe. In fact, it has become one of Armitage’s widely anthologized poems, praised for its moving exploration of the physical and emotional scars of war, as well as its striking use of imagery and language. Its popularity has also been enhanced by Armitage’s reputation as one of the most important and influential contemporary poets in the United Kingdom.
  • “The Manhunt” As a Representative of Contemporary War Poetry: The Manhunt” is a representative of contemporary war poetry. The poem captures the impact of war on the human psyche, focusing on the emotional and physical aftermath experienced by a soldier and his wife. Armitage’s use of language and imagery is highly evocative, painting a vivid picture of the soldier’s physical injuries and the emotional trauma he has gone through. It also explores themes of love, loss, and the search for healing and reconciliation, highlighting the human cost of war and the lasting scars it leaves behind. As such, “The Manhunt” is a powerful example of how contemporary poetry serves as a means of engaging with important social and political issues.
  • Major Themes in “The Manhunt”: The major themes in The Manhunt are the physical and emotional scars of war, the power of love and human connection, and the search for healing and reconciliation. The poem explores the aftermath of war through the eyes of a soldier who has returned home with physical injuries and emotional trauma and his wife, who is struggling to come to terms with his condition. The first sentence of the poem, “After the first phase / after passionate nights and intimate days,” sets the tone for the exploration of the theme of love and human connection. The use of the word “passionate” highlights the intensity of the couple’s relationship prior to the soldier’s deployment, while the phrase “intimate days” emphasizes the closeness they once shared.
    However, the subsequent description of the soldier’s injuries introduces the theme of the physical and emotional scars of war. The reference to the “blown hinge” of the soldier’s jaw is a metaphor for the damage inflicted by the war, highlighting the lasting impact of violence and trauma. The poem also explores the theme of healing and reconciliation, as the wife seeks to repair the damage done to their relationship after feeling “the hurt / of his grazed heart.” In short, “The Manhunt” is a poignant exploration of the complex and lasting effects of war on individuals and their relationships.

Analysis of Literary Devices Used in The Manhunt

Simon Armitage has employed a range of literary devices to heighten the intended impact of his poem. The primary literary devices utilized in this poem are examined in detail below.

  1. Alliteration: It is the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words. An example of this can be found in the line “Then, and only then” (line 26), where the repetition of the “n” sound creates a sense of emphasis while the sound of /k/ is a good alliteration in “come close.”
  2. Assonance: It is the repetition of vowel sounds within words. An example of this can be found in the line “only then would he let me trace” (line 3), where the repetition of the “e” and “o” sounds creates a sense of harmony.
  3. Enjambment: It is a literary device where a line of poetry runs over into the next line without punctuation. An example of this can be found in the lines “only then would he let me explore/ the blown hinge of his lower jaw” (lines 5-6), where the enjambment emphasizes the intimacy of the moment.
  4. Hyperbole: It is a figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect. An example of this is the line “And handle and hold” (line 7), where the hyperbole highlights the soldier’s physical injuries.
  5. Imagery: It is a literary device that uses descriptive language to create a vivid picture in the reader’s mind. An example of this can be found in the line “The damaged, porcelain collar-bone” (line 8), where the imagery of the “damaged” bone emphasizes the fragility of the soldier’s condition.
  6. Metaphor: It is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. An example of this is the line “the fractured rudder of shoulder-blade” (line 10), where the metaphor of the shoulder-blade as a “rudder” emphasizes its importance in the soldier’s physical movement.
  7. Oxymoron: It is a figure of speech that combines contradictory terms. An example of this can be found in the line “blown hinge” (line 6), where the oxymoron highlights the severity of the soldier’s injuries.
  8. Personification: It is a figure of speech in which an object or animal is given human characteristics. An example of this can be found in the line “And feel the hurt” (line 15), where the use of the word “hurt” personifies the soldier’s physical pain.
  9. Symbolism: it is the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities. An example of this use is as follows.

Blown hinge of his lower jaw” symbolizes the soldier’s difficulty in speaking about his experiences and his reluctance to open up to others.

“Fractured rudder of shoulder-blade” symbolizes the soldier’s loss of control and direction in his life as a result of his traumatic experiences.

“Foetus of metal beneath his chest” symbolizes the idea that the soldier is carrying a burden or trauma that is deeply embedded within him and that he cannot easily remove.

Analysis of Poetic Devices Used in The Manhunt

Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Here is an analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem.

  1. Diction: It is the choice of words used in a poem. The poem’s diction is simple and direct, using words like “frozen river,” “collar-bone,” and “hinge” to describe the soldier’s injuries (lines 4-7).
  2. Meter: It is the rhythmic structure of a poem. “The Manhunt” does not have a consistent meter, though there are moments of iambic pentameter (such as in line 8: “the fractured rudder of shoulder-blade”).
  3. Poem Type: “The Manhunt” is a lyric poem that focuses on the speaker’s thoughts and feelings.
  4. Stanza Type: It means a part of the poem comprising certain verses. “The Manhunt” is divided into 7 stanzas, each with two lines. This type of stanza is called a couplet.
  5. Tone: It is the attitude or emotion conveyed by the speaker in a poem. In “The Manhunt,” the tone is somber and introspective as the speaker reflects on the physical and emotional damage that the soldier has endured (lines 1-3).

Quotes to be Used

This quote highlights the enduring love and devotion that the soldier’s wife has for him, despite the physical and emotional scars he has sustained. It could be used to celebrate a similar type of love and commitment, such as a wedding anniversary or Valentine’s Day.

Only then could I bind the struts
and climb the rungs of his broken ribs,

and feel the hurt
of his grazed heart.